Many Happy Returns
by Bellarsam Chrisjulittle
Summary: One-shot, in honor of Tina's birthday. Takes place after whatever happens in COG. A week after confronting Grindelwald, our beloved quartet are reunited and safe in London. In the early hours of Tina's birthday, she and Newt make an important decision and share some beautiful moments.


In London, the August night was warm and humid. In the minutes after the hour of one struck, a witch disapparated into an alleyway behind a block of brownstones. The first thing that this tall, dark-haired witch did after landing safely and intact beside a dumpster was wince painfully, bend over, and clutch the spot right above her heart. After several deep breaths, her face relaxed and she stood upright again; she dropped her hand after gently rubbing the spot. She then slowly walked to the back door of the building she had landed behind, and slipped inside after a silent ' _Alohomora_ ' spell.

Tina found herself inside the kitchen of Newt's London home. It was empty, with only the small countertop lamp lit, but what she saw was enough to bring tears to her eyes.

On the table was a cake. More specifically, a chocolate cake, covered in chocolate frosting and decorated with sliced strawberries. It looked so rich and good that Tina's mouth watered as much as her eyes. Wiping the latter, Tina walked to the table and looked more closely. Along with two plates and sets of cutlery, Tina saw a note resting beside the cake. Picking it up, she immediately recognized her sister's handwriting:

 _Happy Birthday, Teenie!_

 _I wanted to wait up for you but Jacob insisted that I rest and I know you would scold me if I did. I'm getting better, I promise you. My head was much better today than it had been yesterday. I think just being safe with you, Jacob and Newt is the best medicine._

 _I'm sure you've forgotten the significance of today, but I never will and I wanted to remind you. Jacob baked it, and I decorated it the way Momma used to, same pattern and everything. Have a slice or two with Newt, but if you don't save some for me and Jacob, I'll tell Newt all the details of the dreams you had about him right after he left._

 _Talk to him, Teenie. You know you both need to. I know it's not either of your strong suits, talking about your feelings, but you two need to clear the air. I can see how hard these last months of misunderstandings and separation have been for you, and I don't need my special gift to know that._

 _I know you, Teenie, so read this and believe it: You deserve to be happy. Who knows how much time any of us have left now? Embrace it while you can._

 _I love you,_

 _Queenie_

Tina was crying long before she'd finished reading the note. She folded it up and slipped it into the pocket where she kept her wand. She then blew a kiss upwards, in the direction of Newt's guestroom, where she knew that Queenie and Jacob would be, sleeping peacefully and happily together. Then, Tina walked through the kitchen and the sitting room and into the front hall. At the door of the cupboard underneath the stairs, Tina knocked, knowing that Newt had put a spell on it that would enable him to hear the knock from anywhere in his wildlife reserve downstairs.

Sure enough, only a minute later, the door opened to reveal Newt. He had clearly just come from one of the paddocks, judging by the slight dirt stains on his white shirt and brown trousers. He wore no jacket or waistcoat, his collar was crooked, and the top two shirt buttons were undone. Add the fact that his hair was even more of a mess than usual, and Tina considered it a minor miracle that she didn't swoon in her already tired and wounded condition.

It became a major miracle when Newt's face lit up in a relieved smile… _Morrigan, he's so beautiful when he smiles._ Thankfully, Tina managed not to humiliate herself by staying on her own two feet and smiling back in return.

"Tina," he said softly. His hand then reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Tina leaned into his touched, her own hand coming up to stroke his wrist.

This had become a familiar gesture in the past week, ever since the quartet had somehow managed to escape Grindelwald's clutches in Paris. They had managed, along with Theseus and Leta, to escape and come to England. While Theseus, who'd gotten the worst injuries from the confrontation, was recovering in St. Mungo's and Leta refused to leave his side, the reunited quartet of friends had sojourned to Newt's home. Queenie had needed to rest and recuperate; Grindelwald had used her gift of Legilimency to lead her on a wild goose chase and use her as bait to her friends at the same time. Jacob, miraculously, had not been harmed physically, and his sole focus now was the woman he loved. Newt had come away physically intact, as well.

Tina, however, had gotten hit with a nasty curse. Thankfully, the fanatic who'd hit her with it didn't have the best aim, and she'd only needed to spend one night in St. Mungo's. Still, her wound would take time to heal fully, and she would be left with a permanent (and ugly, no doubt) scar.

But all that mattered to Tina in this moment right now was this: everybody that she loved was under the same room and safe.

It was Newt who broke the silence, gently and sincerely: "Many happy returns."

Tina blinked in surprise.

"Queenie told me before she turned in," he explained, now stroking her cheek with his calloused fingers.

Tina nodded, smiling to herself. "Of course…she and Jacob made me a cake. I know it's late but…would you have a slice with me?"

Newt's smile widened. "l would be delighted."

He dropped his hand from her face so that he could take her own hand as he led her back to the kitchen. Each sliced a very generous slice of the cake and, after pouring out two glasses of milk, sat at the kitchen table to eat it. After Newt had taken his first bite, he let out a very pleased groan.

"Merlin, this cake is scrummy!"

Tina snorted into her milk glass, and it turned into a full laugh at the look on Newt's face in reaction. "Sorry," she giggled, wiping the corner of one eye.

Newt, thankfully, grinned in good humor. "You really find our British slang terms funny, don't you?"

Her cheeks pink, Tina shrugged. "Most of them, yes. I don't know why, I just do." She looked at him with sudden nervousness. "You know I don't mean any malice by that, right?"

Newt's smile grew endearingly fond, and he took her free hand with his own. "I know, Tina. Quite frankly, after everything that's happened, just seeing you smile for any reason does me so much good."

Of course, Tina had to smile softly in response. She looked down at their joined hands on the table. After months of miscommunication and misunderstanding, it had taken one week of mortal danger and near death in Paris for them to find each other again. It had been just before facing Grindelwald in his hideout within the Parisian catacombs when the two of them had shared their first kiss – impulsive, desperate, knowing that they may never have another chance again, and _perfect_. Now, one week later, both were left in no doubt as to what they felt for each other.

As she counted the freckles and scars on Newt's hand, Tina remembered words from the note that Queenie had left for her: _Talk to him, Teenie. You know you both need to._

So, Tina took a deep breath, and said, "Newt…I need to talk to you."

Newt gave her his full attention by pushing away his now-empty plate and covering their joined hands with his free one. "I'm listening, Tina," he said, earnestly enough to almost disguise the nerves that her words had arisen. But he kept eye contact with her, which made her happy. Eye contact was something he wasn't always comfortable doing, and this gave Tina the courage that she needed.

"Well, the Minister of Magic sat in on part of the meeting I had with the Auror Department; he wanted to know what our ideas were in what to do next about Grindelwald. He pulled me aside afterwards…and he invited me to join the team of aurors there."

Newt's eyes widened as he took this in. It relieved Tina that he didn't look at all displeased. She continued.

"I told him that I would think about it, and then I went to see Theseus at St. Mungo's. After all, he's the Head Auror, and I wouldn't want to get a job just because someone went over someone else's head." Tina chuckled. "Theseus said that he'd wanted to hire me from the moment you told him about how we met by me arresting you."

Newt laughed. "He did actually say that to me when I told him the story. Once he learned how you arrested me after my niffler got loose in that bank, he said, ' _I need to hire that witch!_ '"

There was a pause as Newt looked down at their hands. When he met her eyes again, there was apprehension and hope in his own. "So…what are you thinking about? Have you made a decision?"

The hope in his eyes giving her hope in return, Tina chose her words carefully as she replied, the better to gauge his reaction. "Well…if I chose to accept, that would of course mean moving to a completely new country. That's quite intimidating in and of itself. But, from where I stand, there are some very good reasons for me to accept."

"Such as?" Newt asked eagerly.

Tina smiled. "One, I would be an auror with what seem to me to be a great team of witches and wizards. Two, living in England would mean being close to Queenie, since she and Jacob have been granted asylum here to get married. Third…"

Tina paused and dropped her gaze down to their hands. Again, words from Queenie's note flashed through her mind: _I know it's not either of your strong suits, talking about your feelings, but you two need to clear the air._ Tina knew how true this was, especially after the last months of misery that they'd both been through. So, she took another deep breath before saying softly to their hands:

"Third…I would be closer to you."

She watched Newt's hand lift so that his fingers brushed against her cheek. Looking up to meet his gaze as her cheeks burned, she saw relief and joy in his multi-colored eyes. "Every reason that you've listed is a wonderful one, Tina, most especially the last one."

Tina's own heart lifted with relief and joy. "Really? Because I won't do it if you're not comfortable with it –"

Newt stopped her insecurity from fulling voicing itself by interrupting her. "Tina, listen to me." He got up out of his chair and knelt before her (on both knees, so he didn't petrify her). He cupped her face tenderly with both hands before he continued. "I don't want to lose you again. Not ever. These last months, I nearly did. Part of that was my fault and part of that wasn't, but the distance between us played the biggest factor in that.

"I would love nothing more than for you to be close by, Tina, but only if it's what _you_ truly want to do. Like you said, moving to another country is a very big decision under any circumstances. I'll support your choice, whatever you choose. Either way, I don't plan on losing you again."

Tina's face lit up in a radiant smile. "Then, in that case, putting an ocean between me and everybody that I love would be incredibly stupid, wouldn't it?"

Newt let out a watery laugh; through the tears in his eyes, Tina saw that she needed to be clear in her answer.

So she said, "I'll accept the job here."

"Oh, Tina," Newt breathed before pressing his lips to hers gently but passionately. Tina gladly returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Since coming to London, the kisses that the two had shared had been much gentler and more tender than their first impulsive one. Neither had wanted to rush or be clumsy about this wonderful new aspect of their relationship. Now, of course, both knew that they would be seeing a lot more of each other in the near future.

When the kiss ended and their foreheads were pressed together, Tina stroked his wrists and spoke first: "I'll give my affirmative answer to Theseus and the Minister tomorrow; I want to spend my birthday only with you, Queenie and Jacob." She sighed. "I'll still have to go back to New York for a little while though, to hand in my resignation and pack up my apartment…I'll probably book my passage tomorrow, too. Magical transport is still _really_ uncomfortable for me…"

Newt's expression filled with concern as his eyes fell to the spot between her left shoulder and breast, where she had been severely wounded in the battle. "Is there much pain?"

Tina shrugged. "Not if it's left alone. But apparating feels like a direct punch to the area. A portkey would probably be the same, and international Flooing is illegal right now. So, a boat it will have to be."

Newt sighed, resting his head on her right shoulder, nuzzling her neck and sighing when she ran her fingers through his hair. There was no question of him accompanying her; his contractual obligations to his book, which had already prevented him from seeing her earlier that year, stretched through the holidays. So, he made the only promise that he knew he could keep: "Then I will accompany you to the docks, and be waiting there for you when you return."

Tina kissed his forehead. "Thank you. For now, though, it's my birthday, which means we will do what I want. And talking about separations or anything as bad as that is off the table."

Newt chuckled, look up, and nuzzled his nose with hers. "As you wish. And what would you like to do now?"

Tina gently nudged him, and they both stood up. "Well, we've each partaken of this delicious cake. And we've just made our futures a whole lot brighter. However, it's nearly two in the morning, and it's starting to catch up with me." Her point was emphasized when she yawned. "Will you lie with me for a few hours?"

Newt kissed her before replying with a somewhat mischievous grin, "Gladly. I'm quite knackered myself."

Of course Tina laughed at hearing another funny word, and as Newt led her upstairs to his bedroom, he resolved to himself that he would see her be this happy at least once every day for the rest of their lives together.


End file.
